News

Americans, go home: Tension at Canada-US border

Published

4 years ago

August 13, 2020

As the pandemic continues to sweep the US, Canadians are getting more and more concerned about what American visitors could be bringing with them over the border.

Built directly on the border of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia, the Peace Arch is a 67-foot high (20 metres) testament to the close ties between Canada and the US.

Inscribed on one side are the words “May these gates never be closed”, a reminder of the nearly 8,891 km (5,525 miles) of un-militarised border that separates the two nations.

For almost 100 years, those words have been heeded – until the coronavirus pandemic effectively shut the border indefinitely.

The closure came into effect on 21 March, and was agreed upon by both governments. After being extended several times over the summer, it remains in effect until 21 August – although most expect it to be extended again.

“I never thought I’d be sitting here mid-August and that border is still closed,” says Len Saunders, a dual citizen who lives in Blaine.

“It just seems to be dragging on and on and on with no end in sight.”

While the border closure has had significant economic and personal repercussions for the millions of people that live along it or have loved ones on the other side, the vast majority of Canadians want it to stay shut.

A July poll by Ipsos Reid found that eight in ten Canadians wanted the border to stay closed until at least the end of 2020.

And as the pandemic has continued to spread across the US, so have tensions between American drivers and Canadian residents.

While non-essential travel is forbidden, commercial drivers delivering goods and people who work across the border in essential services are permitted to cross.

People with American licence plates have reported being harassed and having their vehicles vandalised, even if they have every right to be on the Canadian side.

Mr Saunders, an immigration lawyer who has many clients who cross the border regularly in order to work, says many people are afraid.

“They’re all scared of driving their cars in the lower mainland because of vandalism, dirty looks and just getting treated as some ‘horrible American’,” he told the BBC.

One of his clients, an architect who was allowed to practise in Canada during the shutdown, says he was told to “go back home” because of his car.

The tensions are so high that British Columbia Premier John Horgan suggested that Canadians with American licence plates should take the bus or ride bikes instead.

In the Muskoka region of Ontario, where many people have summer homes, the hostility has garnered police attention.

Ontario Provincial Police say a Canadian in the town of Huntsville filed a complaint after two men allegedly accosted him over his Florida licence plate.

“Most recently this weekend, there was a gentleman up towards Huntsville getting gas in his vehicle, and two gentlemen approached him and said, ‘you’re American go home.’ And he said, ‘I’m Canadian. I live here.’ And they literally said, no, we don’t believe you show us your passport,” Phil Harding, the mayor of nearby Kuskoka Lakes, told CP24.

“It just becomes a little bit aggressive, and they fear for their lives a little bit.”

Tightened border security has also led to some notable arrests.

In Grand Forks, British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police spent over two hours chasing a man, who allegedly had crossed illegally in a stolen vehicle on 24 July, down a river. The “float chase” ended where the river narrowed, when police, with the help of bystanders, were able to wade into the river and escort him back to shore.

Charges are pending, but anyone caught breaking the border restrictions can be fined up to C$750,000 ($566,000; £434,000) and be sentenced to six months in jail, or C$1m and three years if their actions “cause risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm”.

Those hefty fines aren’t just for wilful rule-breakers.

On Wednesday, police warned Americans participating in an annual float down the St Claire River near the Michigan border that even accidentally crossing into Canada could lead to a hefty fine. In 2016, during more carefree times, Canadian police congenially escorted about 1,500 floaters back to the US side after winds blew them off course.

Still, the effects of the border closure on the small towns along either side are not insignificant.

Before coronavirus, around 300,000 people crossed the border every day, including Canadians who routinely made daytrips to score a deal at US outlet malls or petrol stations, and American tourists exploring the wonder of Niagara Falls.

Since March, non-commercial land border crossings to Canada have dropped by nearly 95%, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

“It’s going to decimate everything up there,” Mr Saunders says.

But the economic impact of closing the border to travellers is nothing compared to what would happen to Canada if another wave of coronavirus forced a second shutdown, says Ambarish Chandra, a professor of economics at the University of Toronto.

“This travel does have a lot of economic impact on the communities where travellers go to,” he says.

“But given the pandemic in the US, and the number of cases there, it makes sense to restrict travel to the US – potentially indefinitely.”

Prof Chandra says government should provide aid to border towns whose economy relies heavily on foreign tourism, but hold steady with the border closures until the pandemic is over.

“In the long run it’s way cheaper to bail out all of Niagara Falls, Ontario, than to close down Toronto for even another three or four weeks,” he says.

After months of shuttering most businesses, Canada’s coronavirus cases are dropping and the country is in the middle of re-opening its economy. Daily cases have dropped from a high of 2,760 on 3 May to a few hundred.

Restaurants and shops have been open for at least a few weeks in most major cities, and so far, cases are still trending downwards.

Meanwhile, the US is trying to tame its outbreak, which reached a peak of 75,821 on 17 July and is seeing about 40,000 new cases a day.

Coronavirus: US vs Canada

Those numbers are what’s fuelling the unease many Canadians have with American travellers.

“Montana is directly south of us, is having a second spike of cases right now, and I don’t feel sorry for anybody that gets stopped at the border, let’s put it that way,” says Jim Willett, the mayor of Coutts, Alberta.

“I’m afraid if we opened up the border too soon, we might have more of a problem like what’s going on down south.”

His town is one of the five border towns where US residents travelling to Alaska can enter Canada, since the CBSA cracked down on the so-called “Alaska loophole” at the end of July.

Since Alaska shares no borders with other US states, Americans have to drive through Canada, hence the “loophole”.

After the border closed, many have expressed concern that drivers have been exploiting the loophole to explore some of the country’s most scenic places, like Vancouver Island and Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise.

In June, RCMP issued seven tickets worth $1,200 ($906, £694) each to Americans who broke the rules by sightseeing in Alberta.

“Do not pass go. Go directly to Alaska,” Premier Horgan said during a news conference in July.

Complaints about the loophole and the lack of enforcement led to the crackdown.

At the end of July, the border authority announced that Alaska-bound travellers had only limited points of entry, must take the most direct route to their destination, and should display tags in their vehicle identifying them as US drivers going to the northern state.

They are also limited to a “reasonable period of stay” in Canada, and are forbidden from visiting national parks, leisure sites and other tourist destinations, with rule-breakers facing the stiff penalties.

Since the tougher rules have been enacted, Mr Willett says he’s not “too concerned” about the traffic coming over the border.

“[We] get quite a few people through all times of the day and night. Most of them are quite co-operative,” he says.

Source: – BBC News

Source link

News

Former receiver Green part of Canadian Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class

Published

13 mins ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

For over a decade, S.J. Green was the enemy of Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans.

He should receive a warmer reception Saturday when recognized as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Then again . . .

“I’ll be honest, if I get a boo or two I won’t be surprised,” Green said with a chuckle. “It’s fun, I’m looking forward to everything that comes with this weekend.”

Joining Green in the Class of 2024 are former players Chad Owens, Weston Dressler, Vince Goldsmith and Marvin Coleman. Former CFL coach Ray Jauch and amateur football icon Ed Laverty (posthumously) were named as builders.

The seven were scheduled to be formally inducted Friday night, and then honoured Saturday at halftime of the Hamilton-Ottawa game at Tim Hortons Field. Green now fully appreciates the magnitude of the honour.

“Being here and getting to see some of the other inductees has been the ground-breaking moment for me where it’s actually starting to set in, that it’s a real thing,” Green said. “To put it into the shortest phrase I can, it’s football eternity.

“Not everyone gets to play the game at a professional level … to be a part of this brotherhood and statistically elite group is amazing and very humbling.”

The six-foot-three, 216-pound Green was a fluid receiver with Montreal (2007-16) and Toronto (2017-19). Green, 39, registered 716 catches for 10,222 yards with 60 TDs.

He suffered a serious knee injury early in 2016 but registered career highs in catches (104) and yards (1,462) the next season with Toronto. The Argos would win the Grey Cup, Green’s third (2009-10 with Montreal).

Green’s pro career ended in the XFL in 2020 as the CFL didn’t play that season due to the global pandemic. However, Green’s contract was abruptly terminated when the league suspended operations.

He retired in 2022 after signing a one-day contract with Montreal. Green, who owns and operates a landscape business in Tampa, said his transition to life after football wasn’t seamless.

“I went through a period … I don’t want to call it depression but I don’t know what else to call it, where it was just hard to watch the CFL game,” Green said. “I felt like I didn’t get to end it how I truly wanted.

“I miss the game still to this day and it was hard to get over but eventually you grow up, right? This (induction) makes all the time worth it, it feels right.”

Green also appreciates being inducted with Owens. Both began their CFL careers as practice-roster players with Montreal.

“That makes it more special,” Green said. “We both came in from the perspective of being practice-squad guys, having to prove ourselves to get on the field.

“Unfortunately, Chad had to leave Montreal to show the league who he was as a player and person while I was able to stay in Montreal and reap the same benefits. To watch him go to Toronto and become the player he was made it all come full circle. It’s very rewarding to go in with Chad.”

The five-foot-eight, 180-pound Owens, dubbed The Flyin’ Hawaiian, spent 10 seasons with Montreal (2009), Toronto (2010-15), Hamilton (2016, 2018) and Saskatchewan (2017). He was a four-time all-star, the league’s top special-teams player (2010) and its outstanding performer (2012).

Owens, 42, claimed his first Grey Cup ring with Montreal. He earned a second with Toronto in 2012.

Owens recorded 521 career catches for 6,217 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also had 4,027 punt-returns yards (11-yard average, five TDs) and 5,479 kickoff-returns yards, amassing 16,698 combined yards.

Dressler, 39, played with Saskatchewan (2008-15) and Winnipeg (2016-18), registering 715 catches for 10,026 yards and 61 TDs. The five-foot-seven, 168-pound Bismarck, N.D., native was the CFL’s top rookie in ’08 and a two-time all-star who made two Grey Cup appearances, winning in ’13 in Regina with the Riders.

Goldsmith, 65, was a dominant defensive lineman with Saskatchewan (1981-83, 1988-90), Toronto (1984) and Calgary (1985-87). He was the CFL’s top rookie in 1981 with 17 sacks then posted a career-best 20 two years later.

Goldsmith had 10 or more sacks eight times and finished with 130.5 (eighth all-time). He won a Grey Cup in ’89 with Saskatchewan.

Coleman, 52, was another dual threat. The five-foot-nine, 170-pound cornerback played with Calgary (1994-2000) and Winnipeg (2001-03) and was a three-time league all-star with 28 interceptions (six return TDs) and 538 tackles.

Coleman stands fourth all-time in punt-return yards (5,211), seventh in kickoff-returns yards (11,545) and scored seven return TDs. He played in four Grey Cups, winning twice with Calgary.

Jauch, 86, played in the ’59 Rose Bowl as a running back with Iowa and was an AFL first-round pick by Buffalo, but opted for Winnipeg.

He suffered a career-ending torn Achilles in Winnipeg’s ’61 Grey Cup win over Hamilton. Jauch became Edmonton’s running back coach in 1966 before being promoted to head coach in 1970.

He served as head coach with Edmonton (1970-76), Winnipeg (1978-82) and Saskatchewan (1994-95). He recorded 127 regular-season wins (sixth all-time) and in ’75 led Edmonton to its first Grey Cup win since 1956.

Jauch was the 1980 CFL coach of the year.

Laverty served as president of the Ottawa Nepean touch football league from 1964 to 2015. He held a similar post with the Ontario Touch Football League for over 10 years and helped launch Touch Football Canada.

Laverty was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Source link

News

Ticats host Redblacks in important East Division contest for both teams

Published

22 mins ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

HAMILTON – For Scott Milanovich and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, what’s understood need not be discussed.

Hamilton (3-9) hosts Ottawa (8-3-1) on Saturday afternoon in an important East Division matchup for both teams. The Ticats enter weekend action six points behind third-place Toronto (6-6) while the Redblacks can clinch their first post-season berth since 2018 with a victory.

And with Toronto visiting the B.C. Lions (7-6) on Friday night, Hamilton will have a clearer indication of its situation Saturday.

But Milanovich, in his first season as Hamilton’s head coach, has steadfastly maintained his club’s most pressing duty is to win the next game on its schedule.

“There’s too many games left, we’re too far away to start thinking about these things,” he said. “I certainly don’t think I have to impress upon (Ticats players) the importance of this game.

“They’re well aware of it.”

Ottawa won the first meeting of the season 24-22 at TD Place on June 30. Before that, though, Hamilton had won 10 straight over the Redblacks.

Hamilton comes off a bye week following its 31-28 Labour Day win over Toronto on Sept. 2. That gave the Ticats the season series with the two teams slated to meet once more (Sept. 20 at BMO Field).

The reality is Hamilton will need help to overtake Toronto for third and reach the CFL postseason. Ottawa, on the other hand, controls its playoff fate entering Saturday’s contest.

The Redblacks are 2-1 within the East Division but 2-3 away from TD Place. Hamilton is 2-3 versus its conference rivals and just 2-4 at Tim Hortons Field.

Veteran Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 347 yards and two TDs in the Labour Day win. He’ll start against Ottawa even though youngster Taylor Powell came off the injured list after suffering a head injury in the Ticats’ 47-22 home win over Edmonton on Aug. 17.

Mitchell has a career record of 10-3-2 against Ottawa. And over the Ticats’ last two games, receiver Tim White has 13 catches for 314 yards (24.2-yard average) and two TDs.

With the bye week, Hamilton will play 12 days after its rivalry win over Toronto. Ideally, the Ticats would’ve been able to ride the momentum of that victory into the following week but Mitchell said during a long CFL regular season players take their downtime whenever it comes.

“Yeah, I definitely think guys wanted to build off this momentum,” he said. “We still will but we also know momentum is very subject to the moment.

“You might have momentum going into a game but they feel the same way and that all changes basically after the first kickoff.”

Rookie running back Greg Bell will make a fifth start and fourth straight ahead of veteran James Butler. The six-foot, 200-pound American has rushed for 204 yards and three TDs on 33 carries (6.2-yard average) in his last three contests while adding 11 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.

The five-foot-nine, 210-pound Butler ran for 1,116 yards last season, his first with Hamilton. And over eight contests in 2024, Butler rushed for 440 yards and a TD on 92 carries (4.8-yard average) while also recording 37 receptions for 312 yards and a touchdown.

“I know what it looks like, this is not an indictment on James Butler whatsoever,” Milanovich said. “He’s a good back.

“I just felt like we wanted Greg’s juice out there a little bit.”

Milanovich said Butler and Bell are very different players.

“James is more of a power runner, the first guy is not going to bring him down,” Milanovich said. “James is an elite pass protector and also a good receiver.

“He (Bell) is explosive … he’s kind of a slasher. When he does see the hole he hits it and he’s a threat receiving. Certainly, there are things he needs to continue to work on but he’s a threat out there, he’s somebody guys have to worry about.”

At first glance, an easy solution would seem to be having both players in the lineup. But Milanovich said it’s not that simple.

“It’s just it’s hard right now with where we’re at with the roster,” he said. “It’s hard to get another American on who’s not going to play a major role offensively or defensively.”

Bell will make his second appearance versus Ottawa, running for 52 yards on 13 carries back in June. And Bell isn’t getting preoccupied with the importance of Saturday’s contest.

“No pressure,” he said. “We’ve all been doing this our whole lives so it’s just football.

“Just run hard, follow my blockers. If they open a hole I’m going to hit it hard.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Source link

News

Longtime AD and 2-time national champion baseball coach Tanner to switch roles at South Carolina

Published

23 mins ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ray Tanner is stepping down as South Carolina’s athletic director after more than 12 seasons, he said Friday.

Tanner, a two-time national champion baseball coach for the Gamecocks, took over as head of the department in 2012 following his team’s third straight trip to the College World Series. The 66-year-old announced his intentions at a meeting of the school’s board of trustees.

Tanner will remain athletic director until his successor arrives. Tanner will then transition to become athletics director emeritus and senior advisor to the president, focusing on fundraising and community engagement.

“There was going to be a time” to change, Tanner said. “When I coached baseball, I didn’t leave the baseball program because I didn’t think it was good anymore to become the athletic director, it was time. And I knew it was getting close to time in this role as well.”

A national search for a new athletic director will begin at the end of November, university president Michael Amiridis said.

Tanner’s tenure has had its highs and lows.

Women’s basketball has won three national titles under coach Dawn Staley in 2017, 2022 and, most recently, 2024. And while Tanner was still baseball coach when Staley came on board before the 2008-09 season, he helped keep her with the Gamecocks despite other outside opportunities.

Tanner has hired two full-time football coaches over his 12 years as the program has tried to make strides in the difficult Southeastern Conference.

Will Muschamp served from 2017 until his dismissal before the end of the 2020 season, going 28-30 overall and 17-22 in the SEC.

Current coach Shane Beamer was hired in December 2020 and has had two winning seasons in his first three years. The Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0 SEC) face No. 16 LSU (1-1) at home on Saturday.

Tanner said he was honored to be at South Carolina for nearly three decades and the chance to continue in a different role.

Amiridis was reluctant to let Tanner go as athletic director when the two began chatting about his successor. But Amiridis was pleased to have Tanner remain as athletic director emeritus and a presidential advisor with a focus on fundraising and community engagement.

“I am glad to see he’s continuing on in a role with the university and his willingness to do that,” said Board of Trustees chairman Thad Westbrook. “Ray, he doesn’t have a degree from South Carolina, but there’s no one who loves our university more.”

Tanner came to South Carolina in 1996 as baseball coach and went on to make six trips to the College World Series. The Gamecocks won it all in 2010 and 2011 and reached the final series in 2012 before missing a three-peat against Arizona.

A short time later, Tanner was named athletic director after Hyman left for Texas A&M.

Tanner said his successor would need to be “nimble” in navigating the new, rapidly changing world of college athletics.

Amiridis said he would look for an athletic director with experience who had a similar respect for athletics as Tanner.

Tanner said he will not be closely involved in picking the next athletic director.

“I’m gratefully for the time that I’ve been able to spend in South Carolina and the opportunity moving forward,” he said. “We have a great place, we have wonderful people and I’m excited to remain in a capacity that’s going to be new to me, but certainly will energize me in a way that I haven’t experienced in a number of years.”

___

AP sports:

Source link